Revealing Secrets of Cellular Phosphorylation Systems Using Mass Spectrometry

使用质谱揭示细胞磷酸化系统的秘密

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06000
• 负责人: Vacratsis, Panayiotis
• 金额: $ 2.77万
• 依托单位: University of Windsor
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=687206
• 关键词: Revealing; Secrets; Cellular; Phosphorylation; Systems

Protein phosphorylation is a chemical modification utilized by all living organisms to alter the function of proteins and controls processes such as cellular communication, growth, metabolism, differentiation, and survival. The enzymes that add and remove phosphate molecules to proteins are called kinases and phosphatases respectively.  Since a delicate balance of reversible phosphorylation is essential for cellular homeostasis, the actions of all kinases/phosphatases are under tight surveillance. One of the most powerful analytical tools to study phosphorylation systems is biological mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry based methods can rapidly identify functional multiprotein complexes containing kinases and phosphatases as well as directly map the location of phosphate addition to better study the consequence of the protein modification. Accordingly, the long term goal of our research program is to integrate mass spectrometry, biochemistry, and cell biology techniques to decipher the mechanistic details regulating poorly understood kinases and phosphatases predicted to regulate fundamental cellular processes. ***     Currently we are directing much of our focus on a poorly understood phosphatase identified as YVH1 (also known as DUSP12). Human YVH1 (hYVH1) is a so called dual specificity phosphatase (DSP) widely expressed in human tissues. The YVH1 genes are found throughout the animal and plant kingdom and all gene products possess a characteristic zinc binding domain in addition to their phosphatase domain. Remarkably, although YVH1 was the first eukaryotic DSP identified over 22 years ago, relatively little is known about its specific biological function in human cells. ***    The recent acquisition in 2014 of a new multiplexed mass spectrometry system capable of biological applications such as discovery/targeted proteomics, mapping of post translational modifications, structural protein dynamics, and interactome analysis has fundamentally altered the depth of analysis for our research program. Utilizing this system, we have recently isolated novel hYVH1 associating proteins from human cell lines using classical mass spectrometry based affinity chromatography techniques. Our preliminary findings suggest that hYVH1 is active at cellular components that control the rate at which genes are transformed into functional proteins (mRNA regulation). We are now interested in employing next generation affinity capture methods and magnetic bead technology to thoroughly delineate and functionally validate the hYVH1 interactome. Follow-up experiments will include examining how the cell controls the access of hYVH1 to these macromolecular workstations.  The methods employed within our proposal will be transferrable to the study of other poorly understood phosphatases while the findings will deepen our understanding of the role DSPs play in cellular regulation.

蛋白质磷酸化是一种化学修饰，被所有生物体用来改变蛋白质的功能并控制细胞通讯、生长、代谢、分化和存活等过程。 在蛋白质中添加和去除磷酸分子的酶分别称为激酶和磷酸酶。 由于可逆磷酸化的微妙平衡对于细胞内稳态是必不可少的，因此所有激酶/磷酸酶的作用都受到严密的监视。 研究磷酸化系统的最有力的分析工具之一是生物质谱。 基于质谱的方法可以快速鉴定含有激酶和磷酸酶的功能性多蛋白复合物，以及直接绘制磷酸盐添加的位置，以更好地研究蛋白质修饰的结果。 因此，我们的研究计划的长期目标是整合质谱，生物化学和细胞生物学技术，以破译机制的细节调节知之甚少的激酶和磷酸酶预测调节基本的细胞过程。 *** 目前，我们将大部分注意力集中在一种被鉴定为YVH 1（也称为DUSP 12）的磷酸酶上。人YVH 1（human YVH 1，hYVH 1）是一种在人体组织中广泛表达的双特异性磷酸酶（dual specificity phosphatase，DSP）。YVH 1基因广泛存在于动物和植物界，所有基因产物除了磷酸酶结构域外，还具有特征性的锌结合结构域。 值得注意的是，虽然YVH 1是22年前发现的第一个真核DSP，但对其在人类细胞中的特定生物学功能知之甚少。 最近在2014年收购了一个新的多路复用质谱系统，能够进行生物学应用，如发现/靶向蛋白质组学，翻译后修饰的映射，结构蛋白质动力学和相互作用组分析，从根本上改变了我们的研究计划的分析深度。 利用这个系统，我们最近分离出新的hYVH 1相关的蛋白质从人类细胞系使用经典的基于质谱的亲和层析技术。我们的初步研究结果表明，hYVH 1是活跃的细胞成分，控制基因转化为功能蛋白（mRNA调控）的速度。我们现在有兴趣采用下一代亲和捕获方法和磁珠技术，彻底描绘和功能验证的hYVH 1相互作用组。后续实验将包括检查细胞如何控制hYVH 1进入这些大分子工作站。 我们的建议中采用的方法将转移到其他鲜为人知的磷酸酶的研究，而研究结果将加深我们对DSP在细胞调控中的作用的理解。